Most dangerous aspect or rally?

[Lise Mendham]

After many years of study, and more than a few beers, my team of experts has concluded that the most dangerous aspect of performance rallying is mounting Michelin gravel tires. After many close calls, we have begun wearing flak jackets, welding gloves, crash helmets, and hans devices during the entire mounting process and have a sober and genuinely concerned spouse watch from a relatively safe distance with a recently tested functioning cordless phone in hand and paramadics on standby.

Should we consider a different brand of tire or hire people we don't like to mount them?

;-)

[randyzimmer]

Ted,
"Should we consider a different brand of tire?"
Find someone with one of these...

http://www.hunter.com/pub/product/videos/index2.cfm?v=30

You won't want to pay for one yourself.
rz

[Eric Burmeister]

Good discussion...might get more traffic in cars and const.

Anyway...Randy, have you tried mounting these on Speedline 2118s? These wheels have a very shallow "well" in the center for the bead to drop into and hence make mounting any tire a lot harder than any other wheel I've tried. The same tire (Mich. or Pir. or Kook) will be much harder to mount on this wheel, in my experience. The upside, is that I've never gotten a flat with them and haven't cracked or bent any to date!

Any machine that uses a plastic shoe (like the Hunter above) has ruined the shoe trying to mount on these things. I had a shop in Dearborn that did them with aplomb (they were the local Discount where Prodrive took theirs as well, so they had it down), but since moving to the other side of Michigan, I've been thru 5 tire shops, including one that specialized in OTR trucks and only two can mount them, and they both charge me a lot because they dread seeing the blue Mazda truck drive up.

I think I'll call the Discount in Dearborn and see what machine they were using and then call around some more. Holland's a bust. Have to try Grand Rapids.

So lemme know if that Hunter machine works well for 2118s. If so, I'm calling around!

Thanks,
Eric

[Phlyan Pan]

Randy would never use speedline wheels....they cost money and you can't get them at junkyards :D

[randyzimmer]

I bought a set of "special" wheels like those you described.
(Compmotive?)
Next to no drop at all.
I sold them quick, too much BS.
As I remember, the Hunter got the bead over the rim
although it was a pia,
but pushing the bead down the tight fitting barrel
section was too much effort during dismount.
I didn't need the space they provided.
(stock brakes) and someone was willing to buy them.

If I had to choose tire stiffness vs. bigger brakes, I'd go for the tires.
If you want both... suffer!

Steve Quigly (QUIG) says he wears a Hunter out every year, he may be a source for used equipment and info.
His wheels look like this:
http://www.targanewfoundland.com/static/images/drivers/cars/thumbs/Subaru_WRX_STI_jpg_160x160_crop_q85.jpg

[granthughes]

My codriver mounts all mine for me with pretty much no issue. He's at a local Land Rover dealer and apparently they have some popular tire/wheel combo that is more difficult than the Michelin onto Compomotives. These are used Michelins though. I've heard they're harder when new.
I'll see what the machine is. But you may check with local truck dealers.

[tedm]

Oh, I was just trying to take the edge off this safety forum. I think rallyists getting concerned about safety is as ironic as Congress acting concerned about out-of-control spending.

Randy, I'm not going to spend any money or take them to anyone, again, ever. I'd rather die!

Grant, I don't think the used ones are any easier or harder to mount, unless they have a ripped edge on the bead and won't hold air and seat. Really old ones that have hardened might be even tougher.

I mostly have compo th-2 and th-3 gravel wheels and an old Coats 20-20 center post machine, that I beat with a big hammer. I don't have any 2118 Speedlines.

[P.Moro]

I have the speedlines and don't have a problem, do you use tire lube onthe inside rim of the tire? And do you use the lube on demount?

[Eric Burmeister]

Yeah. What machine you using, Pat?

Thanks!

[C_Eixen]

The answer to all your problems are 14" tires.

I've never had an issue with Michelins or Hankooks, and that's using Parps' cheap tire mounter.

[Miotch]

the illegals mount mine for $5 across the street. Not that usually support such a thing. But Big-o wants $60 a tire.

[DaveK]

I have a buddy who works at a discount tire, and I've never had any issues. He said they are more of a pain than most, but I haven't broken any of his equipment.

I used stock wheels on my GTX and ran mostly used Michelins, and now on the Evo I'm using TH3s, also on used michelins.

Dave

[P.Moro]

Yeah. What machine you using, Pat?

Thanks!

the name on it is coats ammco, do you use lube on the inside and outside rim of the tire?

[Morison]

It's always fun watching shops mount Michelins for the first time on a proper rally rim.
Typically they start walking away from the machine as far as they can while they are waiting for the bead to seat.

[Eric Burmeister]

the name on it is coats ammco, do you use lube on the inside and outside rim of the tire?

I think so. I think they lube the hell out of 'em. They have a ton of spooge all over the dang things when I pick them up.

[P.Moro]

Most tire shops only lube the outside, if you run some around the inside it will pop right on. "its all in the lube" :D